Making time for joy
A calendar sits open on a table, color-coded events scribbled into each day’s block, the text small to ensure everything can fit. On Tuesday, an appointment with the pediatric oncologist. On Wednesday, a reminder to complete the next batch of paperwork to qualify for supplemental security income to help pay the bills. And on Thursday, a trip to watch a hockey game from a private suite for the whole family, courtesy of HopeKids.
It’s a snapshot of life for families navigating childhood illness, where medical care, financial stress and moments of joy all coexist.
The team at HopeKids understands how heavy the journey can be – emotionally, physically, financially, spiritually. Through engaging activities, HopeKids creates moments of connection for families whose lives are shaped by a child’s life-threatening medical condition. With chapters in eight states, it focuses on fostering powerful, unique support communities.
“We’re a resource that provides for the whole family – mom, dad and the siblings –because these illnesses affect everyone,” said Josh Taylor, President of HopeKids. “We want to provide a program that brings the family together.”
Hope is a powerful medicine
The organization’s goal is to create hope from one week to the next, a motivator to encourage children to get through upcoming rounds of treatment. It achieves this with a packed calendar of events, curated to appeal to various interests.
From concerts to boating trips to virtual cooking classes, there’s an array to choose from. But the real highlight of these events is meeting people who understand.
While each family might be dealing with a different health condition, they are familiar with the same underlying concerns: toting around medical supplies, an extra-cautious approach to safety and a sense of “otherness.” They don’t have to worry about these issues at a HopeKids event.
“You’re not going to be stared at by all the other kids because they’re OK with seeing a kid in a wheelchair,” said Tram Nguyen, a HopeKids parent.
One of its most significant events is an annual expenses-paid vacation for nearly 100 people called the Week of Hope. Families from across the country come together at Flathead Lake Lodge in Montana for a trip full of fun, enjoying activities ranging from horseback riding to arts and crafts. For some, the Week of Hope is their first family vacation since the onset of their child’s illness, and the joy they experience is nearly palpable.
Regardless of the type of HopeKids event a family attends, though, the real benefit comes from the community that is built.
Finding connection in hard times
Experiencing a medical crisis is traumatic, and the isolation that often accompanies it can make mental health concerns worse.
The team at HopeKids tries to counteract this by helping families feel welcome in a friendly, supportive environment.
HopeKids also operates an opt-in directory where families can choose to list contact info and even their child’s diagnosis. For families facing a rare disease, this may be the only way they can connect with someone who knows what they’re going through. And if they’re a bit shy about making that introduction, the HopeKids team will help.
“Research shows that if a child has a strong family unit, they are going to present better through treatment,” Taylor said. “And parents who are surrounded by a peer community are going to cope better, too.”
These connections, built on mutual understanding, are ironclad, and the fellowship is there for families throughout the good and the bad.
Even in the heartbreaking event of losing a child, they are still welcomed to remain part of the group – once a HopeKids family, always a HopeKids family.
Strengthening families
HopeKids events aren’t just for the child with the life-threatening medical condition, though. Parents can use these outings for date nights or to spend one-on-one time with a sibling who might be feeling a little invisible amid their sibling’s illness.
Taylor explained that research reinforces just how important those moments can be, sharing that upwards of 80% of siblings are going to be diagnosed with some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Our program is about more than fun events,” Taylor said. “It’s about strengthening families during the hardest times of their lives.”
HR to support an exceptional team
The HopeKids team recognized that growing the nonprofit was key to reaching more families and increasing its impact, so over a decade ago, it began planning an expansion. At the same time, it understood that growth would bring added human resources complexity, so it proactively sought a dedicated HR partner to support the organization’s next stage of development.
That’s when Taylor met Liz Grussing, an Insperity Business Performance Advisor, at the recommendation of a co-worker. After seeing how Insperity could help HopeKids streamline HR, the nonprofit signed on to become an Insperity® HR360 solution client.
HopeKids employees quickly began using many of Insperity’s services to boost overall wellbeing and elevate their experience, including the free counseling and financial coaching sessions available through the employee assistance program and special offers on products and services through the Insperity Marketplace.
And as the partnership grows, HopeKids continues to tap into more of Insperity’s services. Taylor knows that his employees are the true heart of the organization, so he’s working with an Insperity performance specialist to create a leadership training program for his team.
Partnering to deliver hope
The relationship between HopeKids and Insperity isn’t solely about HR, though. The true foundation of it is a mutual desire to serve others.
Insperity employees frequently volunteer at HopeKids events, and Grussing has served on the Minnesota chapter’s board for eight years. Insperity supports these efforts with paid volunteer time off and board service grants.
“So not only does Insperity help nonprofits with what they need to achieve, it stands behind them and puts its own resources toward those charities,” Taylor said.
The recognition HopeKids deserves
Taylor was delighted when he found out that HopeKids was named a 2026 Insperity Community Hero, an award for nonprofits that enrich the places where they operate through innovation, collaboration and dedication to missional impact.
“We don’t do this for any kind of recognition. We do it because we want to make a difference in families’ lives. But to have someone like Liz and Insperity notice the work that we’re doing and nominate us, it was incredible,” Taylor said.
For Grussing, nominating HopeKids for this honor was a no-brainer.
“The HopeKids team deserves everything and more. They do such beautiful work in the community, and I just feel proud that we can give them something that they’re excited about,” Grussing said.
Along with the recognition as an Insperity Community Hero, HopeKids received a donation of $10,000 that will provide 17 families with access to an unlimited calendar of events for an entire year.
“This is what keeps the families going, and it truly is a powerful medicine to be able to look forward to the future,” Taylor said.
“So not only does Insperity help nonprofits with what they need to achieve, it stands behind them and puts its own resources towards those charities”
Josh Taylor
President
HopeKids